State profile · Below median Poor share

Arkansas bridge safety

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, condition ratings, load ratings, and Poor-condition shares for every public highway bridge in Arkansas.

12,974
Public bridges
45.8%
Good condition
5.4%
Poor condition

Arkansas holds 12,974 public highway bridges (#23 of 52 by inventory) with a 5.43% Poor share (#30 of 52 by Poor share).

That is 5.4% of the state's inventory, against an average of 7.5% across the 54 states and territories with Poor-rated bridges on file, which places it 23 of 54 ordered from the lowest Poor share upward. A bridge is rated Poor when its weakest applicable component scores 4 or below on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, so the category is a maintenance and funding signal rather than a closure order or a live crossing-safety verdict.

Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026

Total Bridges

12,974

Public highway bridges in Arkansas

Good Condition

45.8%

5,940 bridges rated 7-9

-4.2pp vs 50% benchmark

Poor Condition

5.4%

704 bridges whose lowest applicable component is rated 0-4

-2.1pp vs national avg 7.5%

Arkansas vs national bridge condition

Arkansas - Good condition share 45.8%
National avg

Share of bridges rated 7-9 on the FHWA 0-9 scale (deck, superstructure, substructure all good).

Arkansas - Poor-condition share 18.1%
National avg

Lower is better. Bar maxes at 30% (worst-state ceiling). National average sits at 7.5%.

Arkansas in the national condition pattern

Each point is a state or territory in the FHWA NBI; the highlighted point is this profile.

Inventory size and Poor-condition share are different measures: Arkansas has 12,974 bridges and a 5.4% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #23 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The dashed comparisons mark the national average state rate and the midpoint of the plotted inventory range; neither is a live safety or closure threshold. Scatter plot of 54 data points. 0%10%20%30%40% 0k20k40k60k Public bridges in inventory (thousands) Poor-condition share (%) AR, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 13k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.43%AL, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 16.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 3.35%AK, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 1.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.89%AZ, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 8.6k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.15%CA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 25.8k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.91%CO, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 9k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.82%CT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 4.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.72%DE, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.26%DC, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.95%FL, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 13k · Poor-condition share (%): 2.79%GA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 15.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.59%GU, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0k · Poor-condition share (%): 12.77%HI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 1.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.53%ID, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 4.6k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.9%IL, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 26.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 9.35%IN, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 19.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.22%IA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 23.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 19.16%KS, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 24.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.26%KY, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 14.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.37%LA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 12.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 11.48%ME, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 15.41%MD, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.56%MA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 8.88%MI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 11.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 11.27%MN, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 13.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.44%MS, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 16.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.03%MO, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 24.6k · Poor-condition share (%): 8.95%MT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.81%NE, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 15.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.9%NV, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.14%NH, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.51%NJ, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 6.8k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.01%NM, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 4k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.51%NY, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 17.6k · Poor-condition share (%): 9.43%NC, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 19.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.76%ND, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 4.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 10.98%OH, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 26.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.74%OK, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 22.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.7%OR, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 8.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.61%PA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 23.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 12.58%PR, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 13.92%RI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0.8k · Poor-condition share (%): 15.2%SC, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 9.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.17%SD, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 16.36%TN, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 20.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.41%TX, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 56.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.23%UT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 3.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 2.91%VT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 2.9%VI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0k · Poor-condition share (%): 29.17%VA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 14.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 3.39%WA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 8.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.45%WV, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 7.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 18.64%WI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 14.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.52%WY, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 3.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.51%
Inventory size and Poor-condition share are different measures: Arkansas has 12,974 bridges and a 5.4% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #23 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The dashed comparisons mark the national average state rate and the midpoint of the plotted inventory range; neither is a live safety or closure threshold.

Arkansas vs all states by public bridge inventory

Where this state's FHWA NBI public-highway bridge count sits among every state and territory on PlainBridges

12,974 23rd of 54 higher than 31 of 54 states

States and territories, banded by public bridge inventory size

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source FHWA National Bridge Inventory · 2024

Read the rank neighborhood for Arkansas

The highlighted point is Arkansas: 12,974 bridges and 5.43% in Poor condition, rank #23 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The five jurisdictions immediately above and below Arkansas on that same Poor-share ordering:

  • Indiana: 19,495 bridges · 5.22% Poor
  • Kansas: 24,894 bridges · 5.26% Poor
  • Arkansas: 12,974 bridges · 5.43% Poor
  • Washington: 8,474 bridges · 5.45% Poor
  • California: 25,848 bridges · 5.91% Poor

The full national sortable table lives on the rankings page.

Material families in Arkansas

Exclusive FHWA material families across all 12,974 bridges in this state; continuous variants fold into the parent family. Orthogonal to the Poor-share scatter above.

Who maintains Arkansas’s inventory

State agency holds 57.1% of the 12,974 public highway bridges filed under Arkansas in the 2024 NBI, the agency-of-record split for this state, not a condition verdict.

When Arkansas’s bridges were built

Pre-1950 construction accounts for 13.5% of the 12,974 bridges with a recorded original year in Arkansas. Era bands are orthogonal to the Poor-share ranking above.

Condition Distribution

Arkansas45.8%48.8%GoodFairPoor
Bridge inventory deck-condition mix - Arkansas (FHWA NBI)

Counties (75)

Arkansas 154 Ashley 106 Baxter 91 Benton 410 Boone 98 Bradley 105 Calhoun 114 Carroll 119 Chicot 88 Clark 202 Clay 200 Cleburne 53 Cleveland 79 Columbia 131 Conway 122 Craighead 442 Crawford 248 Crittenden 235 Cross 129 Dallas 103 Desha 83 Drew 149 Faulkner 219 Franklin 143 Fulton 105 Garland 319 Grant 119 Greene 251 Hempstead 174 Hot Spring 222 Howard 116 Independence 184 Izard 105 Jackson 136 Jefferson 336 Johnson 162 Lafayette 72 Lawrence 126 Lee 94 Lincoln 110 Little River 83 Logan 152 Lonoke 187 Madison 149 Marion 65 Miller 216 Mississippi 309 Monroe 85 Montgomery 199 Nevada 133 Newton 65 Ouachita 162 Perry 118 Phillips 101 Pike 95 Poinsett 194 Polk 221 Pope 188 Prairie 88 Pulaski 721 Randolph 151 Saline 231 Scott 198 Searcy 65 Sebastian 331 Sevier 164 Sharp 110 St. Francis 202 Stone 73 Union 289 Van Buren 98 Washington 449 White 322 Woodruff 79 Yell 227

Arkansas vs nearby ranks

Adjacent states by Poor-condition share (lower share = better)

States are ranked by the share of bridges whose lowest applicable component rating is 4 or below. This describes recorded condition; it does not measure funding effectiveness or live crossing safety. States here sit immediately above and below Arkansas on the same metric.

IN

Indiana

5.22% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$19,495

KS

Kansas

5.26% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$24,894
Selected

AR

Arkansas

5.43% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$12,974

WA

Washington

5.45% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$8,474

CA

California

5.91% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$25,848

Bridges Needing Most Attention in Arkansas

Six lowest-condition bridges in Arkansas, ranked by the portal's composite display score. Inspection intervals are risk-based under current NBIS rules.

CR 870-H OLD US 63

Poor

Over: DITCH 123

.10 MI E JCT SH 14, Poinsett, AR

Built 1933 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 667

SH 140-02- LM 9.08

Poor

Over: NATIONAL DITCH

1.7 MI E JCT SH 77, Mississippi, AR

Built 1967 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 2,900

Bucklake/Z-Ew/3.10

Poor

Over: Ditch Number 21

3.1 Miles West Of Sh 50, Crittenden, AR

Built 1955 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 360

CR20 -G 911- 108

Poor

Over: Union Pacific Railroad

0.91 M E Jct. SH 349, Craighead, AR

Built 1957 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 174

Cr74/Fulton Co.

Poor

Over: SPRING RIVER

2 M SE MAMMOTH SPRINGS, Fulton, AR

Built 1916 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 779

BOWEN BR. C.R. 244

Poor

Over: LITTLE MO RIVER

.75 M S SH 301, Hempstead, AR

Built 1944 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 9

All Bridges in Arkansas

US 167 Sharp Co.

Fair

Over: SALINE BAYOU

0.3 MI S JCT SH 58 W 167, Sharp, AR

Built 1950 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 5,791

SH 178 Marion

Fair

Over: CRANE CREEK

1.88 MI N JCT US 62 & 178, Marion, AR

Built 1947 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 5,600

SH 195 -01-11.78

Fair

Over: BLACK BOIS DE ARC CREEK

2.1 MI SW SH 4, Hempstead, AR

Built 1967 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 290

SH 215

Fair

Over: Easter Creek

7.80 M W of County line, Johnson, AR

Built 1950 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 310

State Highway 246

Fair

Over: Baker Creek Polk Co.

14.56 MI E JCT US 71 246, Polk, AR

Built 1948 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 140

SH 246 Polk Co.

Fair

Over: Harris Creek Tributary

19.46 MI E JCT US 71 246, Polk, AR

Built 1948 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 140

State Highway 246

Fair

Over: Harris Creek Polk Co.

19.73 MI E JCT US 71 246, Polk, AR

Built 1948 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 140

SH 263/Stone Co.

Fair

Over: BRANCH

9.1 MI S SH 66, Stone, AR

Built 1930 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 599

SH 365 Log 6.30

Fair

Over: BR WHITE OAK BAYOU

6.3MI SO FAULKNER CO/I-2, Pulaski, AR

Built 1919 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 5,085

SH 365 Log 7.88

Fair

Over: WINEFREE CREEK

7.88MI SE OF FALK CO I-2, Pulaski, AR

Built 1919 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 5,085

Sh-163/Sec-2/L9.19

Fair

Over: Creek

.2 Miles North Of Sh 42, Cross, AR

Built 1967 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 370

SH 126 Baxter

Fair

Over: DITCH

4 MI S JCT US62-126, Baxter, AR

Built 1947 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 1,533

SH 368 SEC.01-1.59

Fair

Over: CREEK

1.6 MI E JCT SH 24 & 368, Nevada, AR

Built 1970 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 130

Sh-50/Sec-1/L11.08

Fair

Over: Ten Mile Bayou

about 4 Mi East Sh 38 S, St. Francis, AR

Built 1972 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 80

SH 212- 05 LM 1.00

Fair

Over: Drainage Ditch

1.0 Mi E US 65-Gould, Lincoln, AR

Built 1963 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 350

SH 11-03 LM 20.09

Fair

Over: Long Lake

2.8 Mi N US 65-Grady, Lincoln, AR

Built 1950 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 80

SH 298 Log 11.29

Fair

Over: CREEK

11.5 MI E MONTGOMERY CO L, Garland, AR

Built 1971 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 691

SH 354 Izard Co.

Fair

Over: BRANCH

2.9 MI W OF HWY 289, Izard, AR

Built 1956 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 530

US 71 B

Fair

Over: Branch

4.7 MI S BENTON CO LN, Washington, AR

Built 1972 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 32,000

SH 160 S-9

Fair

Over: DITCH

2 MI W INTCH SH 160 & 189, Bradley, AR

Built 1979 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 640

SH 246 SEC.02-3.20

Fair

Over: DITCH

1.92 MI. N.W. OF ATHENS, Howard, AR

Built 1979 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 150

SH 59-Crawford Co.

Fair

Over: Town Ditch

2.4 MI SO JCT I-540, Crawford, AR

Built 1979 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 7,269

SH 7 S-3 LM 10.48

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

.3 N JCT HWY 7 & 376, Ouachita, AR

Built 1979 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 5,500

RODNEY PARHAM RD

Fair

Over: GRASSY FLAT CREEK

ROD PAR&GREEN MT, Pulaski, AR

Built 1981 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 13,000

State Highway 60

Fair

Over: Frog Bayou Branch

1.94 MI N SH 282, Crawford, AR

Built 1986 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 1,200

Emma Avenue

Fair

Over: Spring Creek - Wash. Co.

0.48 MI E JCT US 71-B, Washington, AR

Built 1974 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 8,600

Porter Road

Fair

Over: Creek - Washington Co.

.8 MI N SH 16(112 SPUR), Washington, AR

Built 1981 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 9,300

SH 14-16- LM 3.82

Fair

Over: DITCH

3.8 MI E POINSETT CO, Mississippi, AR

Built 1987 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 1,002

SH 69/Independ Co.

Fair

Over: CREEK

3 MI SE JCT SH 106 & 69, Independence, AR

Built 1987 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 4,655

SH 56 Sharp County

Fair

Over: RUNNELS BRANCH

7.26 MI E JCT 167 & 56, Sharp, AR

Built 1989 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 420

N.Jackson St

Fair

Over: CREEK

.90 MI SO JCT US 82, Columbia, AR

Built 1991 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 4,903

US 412 SEC 2

Fair

Over: Douglas Creek

0.1 MI E BENTON CO LINE, Washington, AR

Built 1994 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 20,000

US 63-04- LM 1.83

Fair

Over: WHITE OAK SLOUGH

2 MI E OF HOXIE, Lawrence, AR

Built 1994 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 12,000

Sh-1/Sec-12/L10.13

Fair

Over: Taylor Creek

1.02 Mi So Cross Co Line, St. Francis, AR

Built 1995 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 7,800

US 167 White Co.

Fair

Over: CREEK

3.4 MI S. INDEP/WHITE, White, AR

Built 1995 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 6,102

Links Apt Access

Fair

Over: Ditch

2.0 MI E JCT US 71-14 B, Sebastian, AR

Built 1996 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 200

Comm Entr SH 255

Fair

Over: DITCH (SIDE DRAIN)

0.75 MI E SH 45, Sebastian, AR

Built 1994 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 100

SH 105

Fair

Over: White Oak Bayou

0.19 MI S US 64, Pope, AR

Built 1998 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 1,993

US 62/412 Boone

Fair

Over: DITCH

3.85 MI E CARROLL CO, Boone, AR

Built 1998 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 9,900

SH 7 S-5 LM 9.64

Fair

Over: Beaver Creek

9.91 Mi. No. Oua. Co., Dallas, AR

Built 2004 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 1,000

Sh1/Ramp/S11/L7.05

Fair

Over: Ditch

NB Exit Ramp to US 70, St. Francis, AR

Built 2003 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 734

SH 166 Sec. 0

Fair

Over: Creek

Jct. SH 166 & SH 62, Randolph, AR

Built 1958 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 1,400

US Highway 71

Fair

Over: Airport Creek Wash. Co.

0.7 Mi S Jct Hwy 156-5, Washington, AR

Built 2010 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 9,200

CR 434-J Sentinal

Fair

Over: LITTLE GLAZYPEAU CREEK

1.43 MI E HWY 227, Garland, AR

Built 1975 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 589

FDR 76

Fair

Over: IRONS FORK

8.186 MI SW OF HWY 270, Polk, AR

Built 1936 Load: 21.1 t ADT: 50

FDR 179

Fair

Over: N FORK SALINE RIVER

2.5 MI S OF FDR 132, Perry, AR

Built 1950 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 50

ARKANSAS HWY 60

Fair

Over: TOAD SUCK FERRY L&D

7 MI. W OF CONWAY, Faulkner, AR

Built 1970 Load: 21.7 t ADT: 5,900

SH 105

Fair

Over: Hector Creek

3.60 MI SO JCT SH 27, Pope, AR

Built 1928 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 2,500

SH 124

Fair

Over: Isabell Creek

2.63 MI SW JCT SH 105, Pope, AR

Built 1955 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 1,700

US 71B-Scott Co.

Fair

Over: Poteau River Relief

1.99 MI S JCT US 71, Scott, AR

Built 1929 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 3,200

Showing 1,701-1,750 of 12,974 bridges

Related

All states → | National rankings → | Understanding conditions → | Retired SD term explained →
Data sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI), latest released cycle. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainBridges.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI). Poor condition is an inspection-record category, not a closure or unsafe-to-cross designation. Consult the bridge owner for current status.

Understanding Bridge Conditions

How FHWA rates bridge condition on a 0-9 scale.

Check Your Daily Bridges

How to look up bridge condition data for bridges on your route.

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

What to do with this

Use Arkansas's inventory picture to drill to a county or a specific span.

  • Browse counties in Arkansas and open the highest-Poor shares first. County list
  • See where this state sits among peers on Poor-condition share. State rankings
  • Compare this state with another jurisdiction on the same measures. State compare

NBI condition ratings are inventory snapshots, not live crossing-safety verdicts.

Every figure on PlainBridges is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. Arkansas Good/Fair/Poor shares and county rollups on this page are computed from the same NBI extract as the national boards; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2024 NBI release. NBI condition categories reflect the latest reported inventory record, not a live safety, closure, or travel decision.